FII Institute ’s Post

Rethinking the Global Superorganism The global economy has evolved into a dynamic, responsive framework that shapes technology, the environment, and society. It's time to federalize data across borders and sectors to unlock a deeper understanding of this planetary-scale "superorganism." Grounded in ecosystemic thinking, speculative design can uncover innovative pathways to overcome data silos. By envisioning alternative scenarios, we can discover new governance models, data-sharing protocols, and emergent technologies like synthetic data to enhance transparency and equity. Ultimately, this approach can help us cultivate planetary intelligence - guiding the evolution of the global superorganism towards a more sustainable, resilient future for all. Who's ready to rethink the economy and data's role in shaping our shared reality? https://lnkd.in/dyWaCvTr #dataFederalization #planetaryIntelligence #speculativeDesign #sustainability #futureofdata

While the global economy has become a planetary-scale "superorganism," our data remains siloed and fragmented. Without federated insights, we're flying blind into the post-stable climate era, unable to comprehend the true state of our interconnected ecosystems. The 1.5°C target is slipping away, yet we lack the integrated data and systemic understanding to chart an effective course. #dataFederalization #climateResilience #ecosystemCollapse #speculativeDesign #planetaryIntelligence

Very proud of this work coming out of a collaboration between FAIR researchers & Georgia Tech that was just published in ACS Central Science today. There’s still a long road ahead on this type of research, but the ODAC23 dataset & Open Catalyst AI models that we released together could help to meaningfully reduce costs and accelerate the work needed to combat climate change. https://lnkd.in/e_XpcZ32 

A very interesting panel discussion on Practical Reproducibility in Climate Science with a focus on creating links between industry and research. The #ClimateInformatics 2024 conference has been incredibly insightful and eye-opening by discussing some difficult topics such as ethical implications in AI with Climate Science. A major drive for climate data and software to move towards open source for collaborative working to improve model robustness and reproducibility is a positive change for the future.

Really interesting and exciting how the rapidly evolving climate crisis is acting as such an effective stimulus for increasing collaboration and innovation in evidence synthesis across some disciplines. Getting the underpinning environmental management right is still the greatest challenge though.

We are excited to be one of Climate Change AI's 2023 Innovation Grantees in partnership with June Lukuyu at the University of Washington. This project, based in #Ghana, aims at a cost-effective solution involving machine learning algorithms to detect and localize distribution grid losses, particularly in the low-voltage networks where most issues occur. Identifying such issues promptly can better enable grid operators in Ghana and elsewhere to improve #gridreliability and effectively meet power demand, lowering both costs and associated greenhouse gas emissions. More details on this project at the intersection of #energy, #climatechange, and #AI are here: https://lnkd.in/ghmcNKea

📣 Last day to register for the SRA-E Benelux conference! More information: https://lnkd.in/ek-ZQyxW Don't miss out on our panel discussion on: “The relation between #Science, #Policy and #Society: implications for the #Climate and #EnergyTransition" with Benjamin Sovacool, Laetitia Ouillet and Michel Heijdra. Society seems to disagree more and more with what the risks are and how we deal with them. The climate and energy transitions invoke different ideas among different stakeholders about what risks matter most, what policy should prioritize, and what risks need to be assessed. This poses huge conundrums for scientists, policy-makers and society when decisions still have to be made. In the current (legal) system, researchers provide policy makers with the insights or rationale in order to regulate risks. Society has the opportunity to object when regulations are published for consultation or in specific projects. For a long time, this triangle was (at least partially) accepted but that now seems to be changing. Both policy and science are increasingly questioned. This may not be a bad thing, as society is thus critically thinking about risk-related questions. But this also raises questions about trust, public values and defining reliable knowledge. Additionally, the context has changed as we entered the new Information Age. While the internet and new media has had the positive effects of democratizing knowledge and giving visibility to marginalised voices, it has also had the negative effects of recasting fringe and unqualified scientific views as anti-establishment truth-tellers. Algorithms create echo chambers and artificial Intelligence (AI) blur the lines between truth, satire and outright disinformation. They amplify minor risks and further break down public trust in both science and the policy process. Politicization can also be a major threat to deliberative processes especially as the credibility of science and scientists increasingly come under attack. The panel will discuss the relationship and interaction between science, policy and society, and explore how we can navigate this dynamic in the climate and energy transition. Transitions such as these are characterized by uncertainty and the need to act fast, which underlines the relevance of this discussion.

We are excited to present the fourth project of our 2023 Innovation Grants cohort: From Observing Power to Improving Power: Loss Localization in the Distribution Grid through Topology Lead Institution: University of Washington Team Members: June Lukuyu (University of Washington), Genevieve Flaspohler, Mohini Bariya, Joshua Adkins, Kwame Abrokwah, PMP, Noah Klugman (nLine) This project proposes a cost-effective solution that meets energy demands of low-and middle-income countries. This solution involves voltage sensing at customer connections and machine learning algorithms to detect and localize distribution grid losses, particularly in the low-voltage network where most issues occur. The Climate Change AI Innovation Grants Program 2023 is supported by Quadrature Climate Foundation, Google DeepMind, Global Methane Hub and the Canada Hub of Future Earth. Find out more at: https://lnkd.in/dwREKAtG

Last week I gave a keynote at NORTH51 Conference making the case on why EO data should be considered a common good and made free/accessible to all. As all common goods before it - colonialism and capitalism, both the root causes of climate change, are entrenched in the industry and encroaching on these commons. A few of my points: 1. We need to start challenging claims of innovation and progress, as they can be an attempt of rebranding indigenous knowledge. We need to acknowledge the missionary overtones and savior complexes of technology evangelists. 2. Solving the climate crisis requires the integration of local voices and knowledge, this cannot be entirely scaled and achieved by any platform, algorithm or technology alone. The dominate economic forces have favored scaling as a means to become profitable. This has been elusive in our industry especially for downstream applications. Not honoring the locality aspect, forcing scaling, does not work in many senses. The underlying technology to work and process the data however, is scalable and I see the majority of contributions coming from open source communities which brings me to my next point... 3. I find hope and success in open source initiatives which foster diversity in many ways, and act as a meeting ground between many public and private efforts. There are always ways to improve, but I am not surprised when I see so much innovation coming out of these diverse communities despite difficulties in securing stable funding. I am looking forward to continue the discussions around new/alternative funding strategies for these efforts. 4. Lastly, we need to be able to have uncomfortable conversations. I heard many praises, but I also triggered and annoyed many others. I also received the most humbling feedback when Professor Steven Wofsy - Harvard professor, six decades in the field, co-initiator of MethaneSAT - came up to me and said it was the most courageous talk he's ever listened to. I am reminded that more than any other academic/career accolade, I want to be known as being brave in such a critical turning point of our time on Earth. Listening to the other presenters and panels through the conference, I walked away optimistic that many others feel this obligation to action. I hope these hard conversations allow us to move beyond cartesian ways of thinking and foster the collective action we need. Thank you Jonathan Neufeld Sarah Pryor Will Cadell for organizing such a great event and bonny mcclain🌍 for facilitating these types of discussions!

🌍 AI and Climate: Leveraging Technology for Environmental Impact 🌍 We at the Digital Leadership Forum are excited to announce our upcoming event that will delve into the crucial intersection of AI and climate change. Join us on Thursday, 12th September 2024, from 14:00 to 15:00 BST on Zoom for a transformative session on how AI is being used to combat climate change and promote sustainability. 🧠 Explore the Role of AI in Tackling Climate Change This event will highlight the immense potential of AI in environmental monitoring, resource management, and developing sustainable practices. Why Attend? 🌱 Discover how AI innovations are driving solutions for climate change. 🌿 Learn about practical applications of AI in sustainability efforts. 🌍 Gain insights from leading experts in AI and environmental science. 🤝 Network with professionals who are committed to making a positive environmental impact. Meet Our Speakers Chris Rapley CBE - Professor of Climate Science, University College London Amanda Staudt, Ph.D. - Senior Director, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Dr. Natalia Efremova - Senior Research Fellow for Machine Learning and AI in Agriculture, The Alan Turing Institute David Rolnick - Co-Founder, Climate Change AI Don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of the solution! 🔗 Register Now https://lnkd.in/eFm_G2MA #AI #ClimateChange #Sustainability #DigitalLeadership #Innovation #Turing #ClimateChangeAI #EnvironmentalImpact #TechForGood #MachineLearning #SustainableDevelopment #GreenTech #ClimateAction #thedigitaleadershipforum